Gone, Baby, Gone

And I Tell You I Am Not Going

A couple of laughs on the summit's final day, and he's outta here. (By Vadim Ghirda -- Associated Press)

There's something about FEMA Director R. David Paulison that makes people think he's halfway out the door.

We reported two weeks ago that the agency was buzzing, based on comments he made about his frustrations running the place, that his departure could be very soon. Agency officials diligently knocked those down.

But on Wednesday, several media outlets reported that he plans to resign. "I'm here for now," he said, according to the Associated Press, "but sometime between now and Jan. 20 I'll be leaving, and we're not exactly sure when that time will be."

Later, Paulison said he won't leave during hurricane season -- from June to November -- and said he had "no plans" to leave before June, "though I can't predict everything that can happen."

"It's a tough job," he said, and "there's a lot of stress on your family."

These ruminations somehow prompted the media to say again that he was quitting, though it was unsure exactly when. Sure enough, they got it wrong again.

Out popped a FEMA press release with statement in which Paulison complained about being "taken out of context."

"I can assure you that this announcement is not imminent. I have no job offers and have no plans to leave FEMA at this time," he said. He chided the media about "reports like this that undermine our efforts to improve the morale of our employees and hinder our efforts to rebuild this organization."

Note to file: Call Paulison and tell him that, next time he's asked, it would be helpful if he would just say clearly that he's staying until Jan. 20. Unless he's not.

Honors

Several Capitol Police officers got the agency's Service Medal last week for their roles in the September 2006 arrest of Carlos Greene, a drug-addled felon carrying a loaded pistol who dashed through the Capitol. Loop Fans remember that the Capitol Police were heavily criticized by congressmen for security lapses that allowed the incident.

Greene had driven his Chevy Trailblazer through a gate that had been improperly blocked by a Capitol Police cruiser. Then he dashed up the steps, darted through an unlocked door and led police on a four-story chase.

As it turned out, three employees of the basement Flag Office -- which sends people flags that have flown over the Capitol -- were the ones who finally grabbed Greene. Those three employees -- Karen Livingston, Isaac Livingston (no relation) and Dennis Anthony -- were given awards at the ceremony, too, our colleague Mary Beth Sheridan reports.

But that doesn't mean there weren't plenty of awards to go around. One police officer was recognized for calling out a warning on his radio after he spotted the intruder; others were credited with chasing the gunman, arresting and stabilizing him. The officers were lauded for their "sound judgment" and "clear thinking."